Getting girls and women interested in tech is only half the battle. My friend Krista sent me a link to a TechCrunch article titled "Women in Tech: It's Not Just a Pipeline Problem." It points out that while we can clearly do more to encourage girls to pursue tech classes and major in STEM fields, that's not the only problem. Women leave tech jobs at a rate substantially higher than their male counterparts.Why?
The article suggests it's due (at least in part) to blatant sexism that exists in the industry. And it does - a significant percentage of women report being sexually harassed. The story that came out earlier this month about a woman founder being groped during a meeting with an investor was sadly not a surprise. However, for each of these major acute issues, there are hundreds of tiny issues that weigh on women.
It's things like:
No Google, no I didn't. pic.twitter.com/9BtO4IjBTE
— Emily McManus (@emilymcmc) August 7, 2014
It's not getting to have a one-on-one meeting with a male supervisor because they are afraid you (or someone else) will take it the wrong way.It's every time you meet new people and have to dispel their assumption that you have no idea what you're talking about.
It's getting recognized for good work and then worrying that others will think the only reason is because you're female.
It's not getting recognized for good work because you didn't claim credit for your work, but fearing that if you did claim credit, you wouldn't be liked.
These problems are hard to solve, but as the TechCrunch article says - the first step is admitting there's a problem.
